In 2001, Marathon County Wisconsin embarked on an ambitious plan to develop a county wide comprehensive plan, as well as comprehensive plans for municpalities within the County. At that time, the County had been out of the planning business for a decade. There were fractious, if not rancorous relationships among the municipalities. Competition for economic development opportunities was cutthroat. There was a distinct urban rural split. Through the cooperative planning process, many bridges were built and fences were mended. While certainly not entirely a function of working on a comprehensive plan, the relationships among communities and the county improved greatly, leading to such things as an urban stormwater coalition,